Athletes Unlimited Softball League: What to know about first player draft

The new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) had its inaugural player draft on Jan. 29. The league will feature four teams playing a 24-game season in a traditional format and will be in addition to the existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season, which launched in 2020 and is 30 games over five weeks in July and August.

Check out what you need to know about the new league and see who each team drafts and adds to its first AUSL roster.

Launching in 2025, the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League will complement the existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season, which will be renamed the AUSL All-Star Cup and will follow the conclusion of the AUSL season. The AUSL All-Star Cup will continue to use AU's scoring model to crown an individual champion.

The AUSL season will start in June and will feature four teams (Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts). The league will be going on tour to 6-8 cities in its first season and then in 2026 will move to a city-based format. ESPN will broadcast at least 18 games exclusively in 2025 (ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU).

Round 1:

No. 1: Bandits -- Lexi Kilfoyl, pitcher

No. 2: Blaze -- Carley Hoover, pitcher

No. 3: Talons -- Megan Faraimo, pitcher

No. 4: Volts -- Rachel Garcia, pitcher

Round 2:

No. 5: Blaze -- Aleshia Ocasio, pitcher

No. 6: Talons -- Georgina Corrick, pitcher

No. 7: Volts -- Amanda Lorenz, outfielder

No. 8: Bandits -- Taylor McQuillin, pitcher

The rest of the picks.

Each team drafted 12 players from a pool of more than 80 available players. Former UCLA star Maya Brady (Tom Brady's niece) was one of the most recent players to sign with the league and was drafted in the fifth round by the Talons.

The four remaining spots will be filled by free agents and incoming college players who are finishing their eligibility.

The four teams will be led by GMs with extensive and storied softball careers.

Here are the coaches for the first season:

In addition to the coaches and general managers, former MLB Executive Kim Ng is a Senior Adviser. Softball legends Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley are advisers to the AUSL.